The Prime Minister is being accused of accepting and giving gifts in order to curry political favor.

"Police have concluded is that there is sufficient evidence against the prime minister on suspicions for the offense of accepting bribes, fraud and breach of trust," said a police spokesman.

Netanyahu, however, has strictly denied any wrongdoing and spoke to the Israeli people about the accusations. He defended his integrity even before police levelled the official charges against him.

The accusations come at a time when tensions with Israel and other nations--particularly Iran--are running high.

Netanyahu has served as Israel’s prime minister for three consecutive terms, as well as a fourth term in the 1990s. He has become a strong leader for Israel and, as the New York Times notes, has built a reputation that has made him almost synonymous with the country itself.

It is yet unclear if Netanyahu could be forced to resign his post if convicted of these crimes. He has said he will not step down and maintains that Israel needs his strong leadership at this time.